St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-07
ARE THEY ELIGIBLE.
Emerson Cole and Fred C. BarrOws
Both Interested I'm City Contracts
1.-The Charter Says Such Are IneI-
rrr;t hi

Emerson Cole and Fred G. BarrOws
Both Interested I'm City Contracts
1.-The Charter Says Such Are IneI-
igiblc.
According to the spirit of the law,
neither Emerson Cole or F. c. Barrows
seem eligible to the Office of alderman, to
which they have just been elected. Section
II, chapter 2, of the city charter, as
amended by the last legislature, is as fol-
lows:
mo person shall be eligible to or shall
be elected or appointed to any city office
whatever. who is at the time, either di-
rectly or indirectly, interested in any con-
tract with the city, whether said contract
was made by the city council or by any
board or officer of said city,"
1t appears that both Cole md Barrows
are directly or Indirectly interested in con-
tracts with the city. A year ago at this time,
Emerson Cole was in the council as alder
man from the Fourth ward. The contract
for furnishing the city lumber for the West
side district was to be let and Cole knew he
could not, as city official, make such a
contract. Accordingly Thomas Wilson was
the name in which the contract was made,
but the lumber came from Cole & Weeks
and Cole & Weeks got the money, on Will
sons order. When Comptroller Holbrook
took his Office, last spring, he found no
authority to turn over the Wilson warrants
to Cole & Weeks and compelled the latter
to furnish new order. which is
now on file in his Office. When Emerson
Cole was defeated by Bernard Cloutier last
spring. and lost his seat in the council,
there was no longer any reason for the Will
son contract. and now Cole 81 Weeks fur
niSh the lumber in their own name. A
formal contract was never completed and
signed by the comptroller, but is virtually
in force, and was in force on Tuesday,
when Emerson Cole ran for alderman.
Since June last the books of the city en-
gineer show that Cole & Weeks have re-
ceiyed the sum of $11, 300. so from the city
for lumber. The question is now being
agitated among the aldermen whether Cole
was eligible to election, having been inter
eSted in contract with the city.
The case with f. G. BarrowS is similar.
yet different. The contract in this case is
made with j. S. Lane, and Lane is men,
Der of the firm of Merriman, BarrowS 81 Co.,
and was when the contract was made. 1t
was to furnish lumber for the first district,
on the East side. There was one amount
of 81. SO paid j.. S. Lane for furnishing
lumber for the sidewalks about the eXposi-
ton, and the engineers books show that in
the past year j. S. Lane has received S4,-
557. II, and Merriman, BarrOwS 81 Go. ST.
4S4 SO. 1t may be that, though Mr.. Lane
is member of the firm of Merrman, Bar
rows & Co., yet Mr.. Barrows was not
Indirectly nor directly interested in the con-
tract with him, but it is said the matter will
be officially investigated. 1t certainly
should be, for on its face it has bad look,
and seems to be III violation of the section
of the charter referred to.
Said Engineer Rinker: The contracts
were never completed and signed up for this
reason: The agreement is that they shall
furnish, at stipulated price, all the lum-
Der the city may require. There are times
when we may suddenly need more lumber
than they can immediately furnish and we
go outside and get the lumber and they
have to pay the difference in price. They
objected to this and the contracts have
never been completed. though they have
been furnishing lumber right along"